A few weeks ago, while on vacation, I did a series of posts entitled, “Top 5.”  They were a hit (from what I could tell tracking the blog stats), I had a blast creating them, so, I decided to keep them going with a series now called, “Top 5 Tuesday.”  Each Tuesday I’ll complete a Top 5 list, the only catch, I want your opinions, comments and reactions too.

It seems as if I have so much to do that I don’t even know where to start.  I’ve been working from my local coffee shop (Forza this morning) for about two hours and completed a couple small tasks (admin), but I know I have a number of MUCH larger tasks that are just begging to be completed.  So, I rather than working on them, I thought I’d just list them in the order of how much I need to work on them, but don’t necessarily want to work on them.

The only criteria… well, you should just read them, because honestly, some of them are great projects that I do want to work on, but are just overwhelming in the amount of work that needs to be done on them.

Without further ado, here is the list.

Five: Files and Data. Honestly, who likes doing data entry?  I have contact lists all over the place.  Both personal, networking and Youthmark related.  I need to take the time to get all this data into my computer and then onto my phone.  On top of this, my computer is completely full at this time (thus the external hard drive that was ordered and should arrive today).  Can’t wait to do this one!  Yeah right!

Four: The Prospectus. Each year (I say that as if it has happened SO many times) Youthmark will produce an 8-10 page prospectus (brochure) for potential church partnerships.  It is actually a very exciting project, but is time consuming.  We are in the midst of doing this years right now.  However, I had no idea that the demand would be here so quickly.  I literally have people asking me almost every day if they can see/hear about the new trips for 2010.  I can’t wait to get this done, but it takes awhile and does require a lot of creative time/space.  I am excited about the theme for this years Mission Ventures and the training (a later post).  This is not a “drag” or even an “I don’t want to do this” project, this is more of a “where do I start, there is so much to do?”-project.

Three: Receipts. I have a nice stack of receipts and accounting I need to get through in the next few weeks.  During the summer it was so go-go-go that I designated a drawer for all my re-entry moments back to the house.  Elisabeth appreciated not seeing all the receipts on my desk, the counter, the end table, the kitchen table, the side-board table, and anywhere else I have placed them in the past, but now it is time to attack and get all the books straightened out!

Eventually it could look like this!

Two: The Yard. Not just the yard, specifically the side-yard.  The front and back look manageable right now, however, both side yards, especially the one people can’t see is a bit “weed-y” you might say.  I told Elisabeth yesterday, “If I had a three day weekend in which I did just yard work I MIGHT have the yard in a place I felt good about.”  We’ve discovered that we really need the simplest of yards… namely because we don’t like weeding, and we kill stuff (whenever we plant flowers, gardens, etc.).  So, grass, evergreens and bark is about all we want.

One: The Garage.  You may have seen the pictures/post on the blog last year of my MAJOR garage cleaning (click here to read that post), well, this year it is in greater need.  The dining room to homeschool room to eventual office is only one part of the garage needing the renovation of space.  We now have Youthmark product (books, shirts, supplies, etc.), and of course the kids outgrow stuff faster than the charities we support can offload some of our stuff.  We officially “temporarily” moved Elisabeth’s car out of the garage last week, mine had been out since Youthmark products came in late last spring.  So, I have a two to three weeek window to complete this task!  Here’s what I hope it will look like soon!

Any jobs on here you’d like to do for me?  Maybe we could work out a deal… I make you my homemade lasagna and you come do my yard?  Sounds likea  great plan!  Thanks.

Grace,
Brian